As a source of information, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Sun newspaper, a tabloid rag that panders to the lowest common denominator with a few blurby bits of print parading around on each page awash in seas of advertising. The vast majority of their content comes in off the wire via AP or Reuters, often to the point where you can read entire articles — verbatim — in other local papers.

The Sun “newspaper” carries skimpily-clad Sunshine Girls on the back page, features way more sports coverage than international news, and is filled to the brim with bright, colourful photos, eezee-to-read sentences, and sensationalist headlines up the wazoo.

Basically, if you want to have your news predigested and regurgitated for mindless consumption along with a heaping bowlful of red-blooded stereotype, the Sun is for you!

Normally, I wouldn’t give a toss about the Sun. Live and let exist to wipe my ass with, I say. But recently it’s become painfully clear that this “newspaper” is a reflection of the myocardial infarction we currently have sitting in Toronto’s mayoral chair, as well as his ruddy-faced lap dogs like Giorgio Mamolitti who whine like little girls whenever their precious feelings have been hurt by public opinion, contradictory free speech, or that terrible terrible thing we call a democracy (I’ll have to post his bitchings during the last marathon depositions on YouTube).

And to be honest, I’m getting fucking sick and tired of hearing clamoring idiots calling for myopic, one-dimensional, all-pennies-and-no-brains bullshit with which to fix this city’s problems with.

Most meat-headed partisans like to think they’re in the clear, the “he was voted in so he must have majority support” fallacy. Except that only 47% of the people who voted actually voted for Rob Ford. That means that less than half of the people who voted directly support His Rotundness. Moreover, only about half of Toronto actually voted, so the bellowing loudmouths milling around in Ford Nation account for only about 25% of Toronto. And guess what, most of downtown didn’t vote for Ford — the people who will be most affected by his actions are the ones who can’t stand him the most.

The other fact that Fordites continue to forget is that there are 44 councillors at City Hall which must approve stuff before any of Ford’s ridiculous plans can ever come to fruition. “But Ford is going to do blah blah blah…” Yeah, no he’s not, because he’s a bully and he can barely make friends with a fire hydrant let alone a thinking councillor.

Fordites also can’t seem to come to grips with the fact that their portly hero is full of shit.

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There are some who think that what’s been happening in London over the last week or so couldn’t happen here.

Well, last year’s G20 fiasco notwithstanding, the doubters really should think again. The many parallels are hard to ignore:

The Toronto Police Service launched their social media initiative this afternoon with a live presentation from Deputy Chief Peter Sloly.

In a nutshell, they’ve put  / will put a few services online that were traditional in-person — background checks and such — but mostly the announcement was about the TPS’ now-official use of social media like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Chief Bill Blair was a bit more detailed:

Despite having more people on the force with Twitter accounts that you can follow, the police are still saying that you have to call 911 for emergencies or get a hold of a specific division if you have less serious stuff to talk about, but this will allow you to follow what cops are doing on the streets as well as giving you a more direct channel for general questions. I’ve chatted with a few of them via Twitter over the past year and they definitely are approachable (and they respond!), so that could work out real well in the community relations department.

The only concern I’d toss out there is in seeing these new channels become saturated and eventually becoming stagnant as responding to everything becomes impossible (you can see this with very popular Twitter accounts). Guess only time will show how prepared the TPS is for this possibility.

The really sad part about this story is that for Rob Ford, it’s not out of character, not to mention that he neither denied the allegations nor the claim that he was driving while talking on his cell (illegally).

Here’s an encounter between Robbie and Ottilie Mason, as posted on her Facebook page this past Saturday:

“ROB FORD, MAYOR OF TORONTO SEEN TALKING ON CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING THEN GIVES CITIZEN THE FINGER I N FRONT OF HER 6-YR. OLD DAUGHTER.

I was driving east on Dundas St. last night at around 9pm. towards Spadina Ave. and who should I see driving beside me but our new mayor, Rob Ford, talking on his cell phone while driving !!! My 6 yr. old daughter and I have a game of thumbs up or thumbs down when we like or dislike something, so when we get to the intersection at Dundas and Spadina, we aptly give him a thumbs down and say, “get off your cell phone!!” Rob Ford, our mayor, then gives us the finger, I roll down my window and again shout, “get off your cell phone!” He keeps giving us the finger and I can see him mouthing swear words through the window.I only wish I had taken a picture with my camera but as you know that would be illegal while driving a vehicle! I find this kind of behaviour really unbecoming of a mayor who not only is in charge of the largest metropolitan municipality in Canada, is supposed to follow the laws of that city, set an example, and serve and respect the rights and lives of it’s citizens. It is appalling that we have a mayor like this who so quickly resorts to this kind of infantile responses to his constituents. I have witnessed first hand just what an embarrassment he is to us all. My advice to the very porcine-looking and acting Mr. Ford, hey get off your cell phone and on your bicycle, you need the excercise and we would all be much safer!!”

The doctor says, if’n you ain’t got yourself one of those fancy Chinese fans to keep cool, stay outta the outdoors today. Ancient Chinese proverb. For realsies.

Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t even know that the Mitsubishi City Chase even existed. Apparently, though, it’s a pretty popular event.

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Elwy Yost passed away at age 86 today. He was the host of TVO’s  “Saturday Night at the Movies” and “Talking Film” series where he delivered effortless insights on the actors, directors, and personalities of Hollywood and featured films through in-person interviews, clips, and neat factoids.

To say he was a warm and inviting host would be a gross understatement, and his dedication to his craft would be difficult to question. I’m sure I’m not the only nerd in Toronto to have curled up with a bowl of popcorn and enjoyed his personable introductions on Saturday nights. Now that he’s gone, I’m sure I won’t be the only one to feel his absence.

Rest in peace, Elwy.

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…a stroll through Chinatown East (Gerrard and Broadview) is a workout. The breeze up from Riverdale Park East (the big panorama below) is usually refreshing except, of course, when it’s like a blast from a hot oven.

Whew! Too damn hot to type any more.

Today TORONTO’s Mayor Rob Ford voted against MANY community grants needed and necessary for them to run and to do business in this multi-cultural city.

You know what I think and believe but please read. I wish i had video but really, who needs to see how huge he is, really.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1023558–ford-votes-against-every-community-grant-program?bn=1#.ThzVM-aeK_d.facebook